Biology Division, LCC

Kabi R. Neupane, Ph.D.

Instructor, Biology and Biotechnology, LCC, Hawaii

The core of my teaching philosophy is based on my personal experiences as I moved from the remote hills of eastern Nepal to the nearby city of Biratnagar, and subsequently to India and the USA. All moves have been in pursuit of higher education.

 My background

In a strongly patriarchal Hindu society, my mother raised four children after she was widowed few days after my brother was born (I was three).  Because my village did not have a middle school, we had to walk for three hours to go to the nearest school and back.  In search of a convenient school, my mother took me to Biratnagar, a city a four-day walk from the village, to live with my paternal grandfather.  I experienced many new things in the city including the sight of a bicycle, an automobile, tap water, electricity and other modern amenities for the first time at the age of 13. I have never experienced such a thrill in my subsequent moves!

     A strong emphasis in education from my mother and grandfather motivated me to excel in every grade I attended subsequently.  This allowed me to earn the prestigious Colombo Plan scholarship to pursue my undergraduate degree at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore , India . After completing my M Sc. in plant breeding and genetics from the same University, I returned to Nepal and began a teaching career at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences of the Tribhuvan University.

     In 1991, I won the East-West Center scholarship to pursue Ph.D. degree at the University of Hawaii (UH) and began a new journey to the US . Continued emphasis in diverse education led me to earn an MBA degree while I was working as an assistant researcher in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Recourses (CTAHR) at Manoa. 

My experiences, and those of other people I have seen who have surmounted even greater challenges, have convinced me without a doubt that education is the way to improve ones lot in life.

 My Teaching Philosophy

 1. Education for all:     I consider myself a citizen of the world and believe everyone, regardless of geographic or national origin should be educated. I believe that access to good universal education is the antidote for most domestic and international conflicts and all educated people should help curb illiteracy and promote learning. 

 2. Emphasis on individual learning and mentoring:  I strongly believe that an individual is at the center in the quest for universal education and therefore, we should educate one individual at a time. Because each individual is unique with respect to regional, socioeconomic and personal circumstances, including various handicaps, the learning objectives and abilities will always vary.  I encourage my students to ask questions and I encourage critical thinking.  I feel that my role is to provide an environment conducive to learning through individual and group interactions. Because individuals must learn for themselves, I often teach how to obtain an answer rather than handing out an answer.  I feel rewarded when my students learn but also recognize that learning is ultimately a personal exercise in intellectual enrichment.  

3. Education is the end: I teach biology, which is a very complex and interesting field of science. I also believe that all educated individuals must have some basic understanding of the structure and organization of life and its relationship with the environment. However, my main emphasis is on scientific learning and critical thinking for knowledge’s sake. To me, if an individual learns something well, regardless of the discipline, s(he) will be prepared to adapt to any circumstances and be a productive member of the society.

 4. Good education is scientific: At its heart, science is way of asking questions to explain some natural phenomena. Unlike many belief systems, science is objective and an individual can find out for themselves whether claims made by others stand the test of observation and experimentation. Throughout my lectures and presentations, I constantly emphasize the scientific approach to seeking the truth. I strongly believe that an educated person must be able to evaluate information objectively and with reason.

 5. Emphasis on continuous education: Like other fields of science, biology is adding new knowledge continually. Students and professionals must keep up with current literature and new ideas. It is never too late to learn new ideas and therefore, I encourage students to review scientific journals, magazines and other scientific news. I require students to look for current literature and also assign projects involving library searches. I believe some of these techniques will help continuous learning rather than memorizing facts. I practice what I preach and read a wide variety of scientific and popular journals.  

6. Emphasis on technology: Technology allows us accomplish various tasks effectively and efficiently. New techniques are constantly discovered and used for the betterment of mankind. It is important to make sure that students are familiar with applications of computers, and information technology as they learn about biology. I extensively use computer technology and multimedia presentations in the class rooms to help my students master some of the difficult concepts. My lectures are all online and students can have a 24 X 7 access to materials covered in the class. I use a computer projector for my lectures and utilize different databases and the Internet to enrich learning in classrooms.  

7. Interdisciplinary approach and creativity: Biology is a perfect example of complexities, understanding of which requires knowledge of multiple fields of studies. Basic physical principles are applicable to the scientific study of life from molecular level all the way to the study of the biosphere. I frequently use and encourage students to relate concepts from other fields of scientific studies for understanding of biology. Many issues confronting our society today such as the origin and the end of life, application of recombinant DNA technologies, biodiversity, fossil fuels and environmental pollution etc. involve choices that may not have one correct solution. I often set the scenarios and encourage debates and discussion on such topics from various viewpoints. I believe it will encourage individuals to exercise innovation and creativity and help make informed choices.  

8. Academic and social life in the campus and community service: I believe that one should help create and nurture a learning environment by participating in the academic and social functions of the college and community events. My involvement in academic and social life in the campus and community is achieved in two ways.  First, I always encourage students on an individual basis and am available to answer their questions and concerns, including many personal problems.  Second, many campus and community activities can be easily turned into educational experiences. In this regard, I always look for opportunities to involve students or professional colleagues in activities I initiate and also offer my help to others for activities that enrich the campus and community life.

nd mail, questions or comments about this web site to kabi@hawaii.edu.
Copyright © 2003 Kabi R. Neupane

Last modified: December 13, 2006

About PowerPoint Presentation: Many PowerPoint files have been adapted from media supplement of the Textbook Publisher, Benjamin Cummings (Pearson Education, Inc.). I strongly recommend students to visit the Publisher’s website at www.essentialbiology.com (Bio 101) or www.campbellbiology.com (Bio 171) and benefit form their online resources.